S.Amdt. 674

SA 674. Ms. KLOBUCHAR submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by her to the bill S. 2226, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2024 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following:

SEC. 1083. SUPPORT FOR NATIONALS OF AFGHANISTAN APPLYING FOR
SPECIAL IMMIGRANT VISAS OR REFUGEE STATUS.

(a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that
the United States should increase support for nationals of
Afghanistan who--
(1) aided the United States mission in Afghanistan during
the past 20 years and are now under threat from the Taliban,
specifically such nationals of Afghanistan who--
(A) are special immigrant visa applicants; or
(B) have been referred to the United States Refugee
Admissions Program, including through the Priority 2
designation for nationals of Afghanistan; and
(2) remain in Afghanistan or are in third countries.
(b) Requirements.--The Secretary of State, in coordination
with the Secretary of

[[Page S2784]]

Homeland Security and the head of any other relevant Federal
department or agency, shall further surge capacity, including
by increasing consular personnel at any United States embassy
or consulate in the region that processes visa applications
for nationals of Afghanistan--
(1) to better support nationals of Afghanistan who--
(A)(i) are special immigrant visa applicants who have been
approved by the Chief of Mission; or
(ii) have been referred to the United States Refugee
Admissions Program, including through the Priority 2
designation for nationals of Afghanistan; and
(2) to reduce application processing times for such
nationals of Afghanistan while ensuring strict and necessary
security vetting, including, to the extent practicable, by
enabling such nationals of Afghanistan who have been referred
to the United States Refugee Admissions Program to initiate
application processing while still in Afghanistan.
(c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be
construed to require the Secretary of State to decrease the
capacity to process visa applications at United States
embassies or consulates worldwide.
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